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Vibrio cholerae use pili and flagella synergistically to effect motility switching and conditional surface attachment

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew S. Utada

    (California NanoSystems Institute, University of California)

  • Rachel R. Bennett

    (Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford)

  • Jiunn C. N. Fong

    (University of California)

  • Maxsim L. Gibiansky

    (California NanoSystems Institute, University of California)

  • Fitnat H. Yildiz

    (University of California)

  • Ramin Golestanian

    (Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford)

  • Gerard C. L. Wong

    (California NanoSystems Institute, University of California)

Abstract

We show that Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, use their flagella and mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (MSHA) type IV pili synergistically to switch between two complementary motility states that together facilitate surface selection and attachment. Flagellar rotation counter-rotates the cell body, causing MSHA pili to have periodic mechanical contact with the surface for surface-skimming cells. Using tracking algorithms at 5 ms resolution we observe two motility behaviours: ‘roaming', characterized by meandering trajectories, and ‘orbiting’, characterized by repetitive high-curvature orbits. We develop a hydrodynamic model showing that these phenotypes result from a nonlinear relationship between trajectory shape and frictional forces between pili and the surface: strong pili–surface interactions generate orbiting motion, increasing the local bacterial loiter time. Time-lapse imaging reveals how only orbiting mode cells can attach irreversibly and form microcolonies. These observations suggest that MSHA pili are crucial for surface selection, irreversible attachment, and ultimately microcolony formation.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew S. Utada & Rachel R. Bennett & Jiunn C. N. Fong & Maxsim L. Gibiansky & Fitnat H. Yildiz & Ramin Golestanian & Gerard C. L. Wong, 2014. "Vibrio cholerae use pili and flagella synergistically to effect motility switching and conditional surface attachment," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-8, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms5913
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5913
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    Cited by:

    1. Hannah Jeckel & Francisco Díaz-Pascual & Dominic J Skinner & Boya Song & Eva Jiménez-Siebert & Kerstin Strenger & Eric Jelli & Sanika Vaidya & Jörn Dunkel & Knut Drescher, 2022. "Shared biophysical mechanisms determine early biofilm architecture development across different bacterial species," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(10), pages 1-14, October.

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